


Christmas in North Carolina

by Lenny9987



Series: Christmas fics [1]
Category: Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-23 22:39:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17089073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lenny9987/pseuds/Lenny9987
Summary: Prompt: what if Jamie was a stay home father?*Part of the Christmas Chronicles series for Imagine





	Christmas in North Carolina

Claire came home and found that the pine Christmas wreath they’d bought along with their fresh tree—a Fraser fir of course—was no longer on the front door.

In its place were five paper plates with the centers cut out and the remaining ring painted green. An assortment of sparkly pom-poms, glitter, and stickers dotted them as well and each had a bow of red ribbon situated at the top.

It was plain which child had decorated each wreath. The decorations on Faith’s were orderly—evenly spaced, color-coordinated, and a healthy variety. Bree’s was covered with so many stickers (her favorite) that you could barely see the underlying paint. Jamie had helped Willie with his, the paint even and the bow tidy but only a small spattering of stickers all lumped together. The two wreaths that were affixed above the three the children made were simple and clearly Jamie’s work. They were nestled close together, the edges overlapping, and written across them in silver glitter-glue (so as to have enough space for larger letters) The Frasers.

Claire smiled and pushed open the door.

Red, green, white and gold construction paper had been cut into strips and glued back together into a chain that wrapped its way up the bannister. Paper snowflakes had been stuck to nearly every free surface of the front hall and Claire followed them through the family room and into the dining room where Jamie sat with Willie asleep in his lap, a bottle still in his mouth held tight between the only four teeth he possessed. Jamie looked half asleep as well, jolting when Claire set her purse on the table.

“You look like you’ve been busy today,” Claire observed quietly.

“Aye. Faith and Bree were disappointed there wasna snow to play in outside so I suggested we do crafts inside and… well, one thing led to another.”

“It looks as though Santa’s workshop exploded,” Claire chuckled. “But so long as they all had fun.”

Jamie’s mouth quirked into a satisfied grin. “Aye. We all did. Wish ye could ha’ joined the fun too. Could ha’ used yer help explainin’ to Bree why even though it says on the container that the paste is non-toxic, it doesna mean ye should eat it—even if the lads in yer class dare ye to.”

Claire suppressed a snort. She was happy Jamie seemed to be enjoying the extra time with the children. It had been a difficult thing to ask of him—uprooting their family from Scotland to move to the mountains of North Carolina because of an irresistible position she’d been offered that allowed her to work between the Cardiology Center and Watauga Medical Center in Boone. It had meant Jamie giving up his small publishing job (which he insisted he didn’t mind) and moving an ocean away from his sister and her family (which she knew he found harder).

They’d been in North Carolina for about three months and what had begun as Jamie staying home with the children while they all settled and adjusted had quietly become their new normal.

“It’s our first Christmas here and I want the bairns to remember it fondly,” Jamie explained, his face flushing as he turned his gaze to the slumbering child in his lap.

Claire kissed the crown of his head.

“With all the effort you’ve put into it, I am completely certain that they will.”

He looked up at her and smiled, reaching with one hand to pull her down for a proper kiss but pulled back and laughed.

“Ye’ve got glitter on yer lips, Sassenach.”

She wiped at her mouth and laughed as the flecks of green, red, gold and silver winked back at her.

“How did you manage to get glitter in your hair?”


End file.
